As reported by Censor.NET, a few days before the exchange, the Russian GRU officer gave interview to Vikna-STB in a pre-trial detention facility. He was promised that the interview would be released only after they return to Russia.

In a conversation with the channel's journalist, Yerofeyev said he would like to meet Nadiia Savchenko one day to dot the i's regarding guiltiness or non-guiltiness.

"I hope that Nadezhda herself won't mind," he said.

When asked if there was something for which he should apologize to the Ukrainians, Yerofeyev said it hardly was: "I understand they will call me murderer who came with arms to kill. But I never killed anybody."